Dan Walker

The politics of "tough on crime" were born of a culture of fear in the 1960s and '70s. In Illinois, that was exemplified by the public statements of then-Gov. Dan Walker, who both described aspects of Illinois prisons that are still problems today, while at the same time arguing for policies that would leave Illinois’ criminal justice drastically overcrowded.

If you follow state government long enough, you start to hear the same things over and over again. That holds even across four decades.

Last week, I produced an obituary for the late Gov. Dan Walker, who died at the age of 92. In listening to several of his speeches from 1975 and '76, I was struck by the similarities to the sorts of things we hear from politicians today — particularly Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Both of these men came in after unpopular tax hikes, and both downplayed their wealth with folksy images. So I'm asking the question: Are they essentially the same guy?

This week, Governor Bruce Rauner restored $26 million in funding for some of the social service programs that were cut in April. Also, former Illinois Governor Dan Walker died at the age of 92. Kurt Erickson of Lee Enterprises' Springfield Bureau joins the panel discussion.

Former Illinois Governor Dan Walker died early Wednesday at his home in Calfiornia. He was 92. His son confirmed the news to the Associated Press.

Walker served only one term as governor, from 1973-1977. But he left his mark on Illinois politics. His decision to walk the state in 1971 lifted him to the Democratic nomination. But he battled with his own party, including the Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. The infighting led to his defeat in the next primary and set the stage for Republicans to control the Governor's Mansion for a quarter century.